Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Stanley L. Laskowski

Biography

Mr. Laskowski has been a senior executive, leader, teacher, scientist, advisor, and mentor during his career in environmental protection.  Currently he is a lecturer/advisor at the University of Pennsylvania [PENN].  At PENN he develops and teaches environmental management and policy courses and advises students and professors in many Departments (e.g., environmental science, business, law, and medicine). His areas of special interest include US and global environmental management, environmental policy, and issues related to the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation. He has been and continues to be active in support of various non-for-profit organizations. In 2006, Mr. Laskowski, with other environmental leaders, founded the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative, a Regional organization dedicated to help provide basic water and sanitation services to everyone in the world. He is currently involved in establishing the International Environmental Management Institute at PENN. This business-oriented Institute will have hubs around the world, conduct cutting-edge research and provide training for the business and environmental leaders of tomorrow.

From July 2001 until July 2003, Mr. Laskowski was on loan from EPA to the University of Pennsylvania.  At PENN, he was the Executive Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IES) where he coordinated interdisciplinary educational and research efforts, designed and taught environmental management/policy courses for the Masters in Environmental Studies program, developed partnerships between the various schools at PENN (and with external partners), and was advisor/mentor to graduate and undergraduate students. During the 2002-2003 school year, Mr. Laskowski was also the Co-Director of the Wharton Environmental Management Program.

From 1972 until his retirement in January 2004, Mr. Laskowski was involved in essentially all major environmental programs administrated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Region III office [responsible for the Middle-Atlantic States] in Philadelphia, PA. 

From 1982 to 1997 (except for the one year detail noted below) Mr. Laskowski was Region III’s  Deputy Regional Administrator (highest ranking career official).  As such, he and the Regional Administrator managed a staff of over 900 engineers, scientists, and support personnel.  He was responsible for overseeing all EPA federal environmental programs in the Middle Atlantic States (e.g., Superfund, air and water pollution control, hazardous waste management, and the Chesapeake Bay Program). He was also responsible for overseeing Region III’s compliance and enforcement programs and establishing overall enforcement directions.  During that time he founded EPA Region III’s Business Assistance Center, the Center for Environmental Learning, and the International Program (now providing assistance to countries on 5 continents).  He also managed five political transitions serving as Acting Regional Administrator.  He has been the Agency lead executive and spokesman for numerous high-profile issues, including the Washington, D.C. drinking water crisis and the post-Bhopal investigations in the United States.  He has been awarded the highest award given to federal managers, the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award.

In the early 1990's, Mr. Laskowski was on a one-year detail to EPA Headquarters as the Director of the Office of Pollution Prevention and was responsible for developing EPA’s policies on strategic planning, pollution prevention, and environmental indicators.  During that time he oversaw the development of EPA’s first Agency-wide Strategic Plan and the design of numerous pollution prevention strategies.

Mr. Laskowski has been involved in a variety of international environmental issues and represented EPA with several foreign governments.  He was the lead senior EPA official in advising Poland on improving its environmental programs.  He has served on a numerous national task forces, was chairman of EPA Agency-wide Customer Service Task Force, and co-chairman of both EPA’s Environmental Education Advisory Board, and Environmental Monitoring Management Council.  He has represented EPA on national TV and radio, before Congress, and in numerous other fora.

Mr. Laskowski also directed many other EPA Region III programs.  Most recently (1997-2001; 2003) he was the Director of the Division responsible for building partnerships with the public, businesses, academia, governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to find creative solutions to today’s complex environmental problems.  The Division used cutting-edge science, the latest environmental management approaches, and communications/education to fashion solutions for a broad array of customers. The Division also was responsible for EPA Region III’s lab analyses, quality assurance,   wetlands, oceans, National Environmental Policy Act (including projects relating to transportation, mining, and sprawl), environment/health programs, environmental data assessments, and innovations programs.

Earlier in his career at EPA Mr. Laskowski was responsible for the formation and management of the Superfund program in Region III (1980-82) and for emergency response activities. From 1973-1980 he supervised the development of federal enforcement cases and was responsible for federal water and hazardous waste permit programs.  From 1968-72 he directed hydrologic field studies for the U.S. Geological Survey.  Mr. Laskowski earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering (1968) and a Masters in Business Administration (1973) from Drexel University.  He is a native of Philadelphia, is married, has one daughter and resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania with his wife, Kelly.